Super Vision Files Suit Against Color Kinetics
Mar 9, 2004 12:00 PM
Super Vision International has filed a lawsuit in Federal DistrictCourt in Orlando, Florida, seeking past-due royalties and damages inexcess of $10.5 million against Color Kinetics for past and currentinfringement violations of U.S. Patent No. 4,963,687 on Variable ColorLighting System.
The patent, developed by inventor Richard Belliveau, provides forbroad coverage in its claims for patent in the use of networked,centrally controlled, addressable color-changing lighting systemsincorporating pulse-width modulation and variable digital controlcircuitry, which can vary the intensity of individual lamp elements togenerate unlimited colors.
Color Kinetics was notified by the patent owner on several occasionsin the past that the owner believed that Color Kinetics was infringingon its intellectual property rights. Upon examination of High EndSystem’s patent, Super Vision believed use of this patent wouldbe required in order to continue its development of color-changing LEDsystems. Super Vision is now the owner of the Variable Color LightingSystem patent by virtue of a recent technology purchase from High EndSystems of Austin, Texas, including future licensing rights, rights toenforce against infringement, and entitlement to both past due andfuture royalties on the patent.
